2026 Spring Commencement Program

163rd

Commencement

2026 Spring Commencement 10:00 a.m. • May 16, 2026 Quincy University Football and Lacrosse Stadium Quincy, Illinois

Founded in 1860 by Franciscan friars, Quincy University is a small Catholic university emphasizing the sciences, liberal arts and the professions. QU prides itself on its personal approach to learning through small classes, a dedicated faculty, close faculty-student relationships, and a comfortable atmosphere. The University offers courses on both its 52-acre Main Campus and the 23-acre North Campus, located ten blocks away from Main Campus.

Quincy University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and confers undergraduate degrees in over fifty majors and graduate degrees in Business and Education and doctoral degrees in Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy.

The academic curriculum at Quincy University is designed to provide students with the fundamentals of a liberal arts education and prepare them for rewarding professional and personal lives. The flexible curriculum design allows for double majors or major-minor combinations and for interdisciplinary majors. The President’s Honors College, independent studies, special-topics courses, study-away courses, independent research, and internships are also available to integrate practical experience and Franciscan values.

Quincy University is a diverse, coeducational university, serving over 1,100 undergraduate and graduate degree-seeking students. Although the majority are from the Midwest, students come to Quincy University from across the United States and from many foreign countries.

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Ceremony Participants University Marshal

Robert Manning, Ph.D. Dean, School of Humanities; Professor of Philosophy

Student Flag Bearers

Mackenzie Emmons

Maxim Ryner

Quincy University Coat of Arms

Reverend Robert Barko, O.F.M. ’81, M.Div. Director of Campus Ministry David Kirchhofer, Ph.D. Professor of Physics

Assistant Marshals

Scott Luaders, Ph.D. Professor of Chemistry

2026 Spring Graduates Members of the Faculty and Staff Mission and Ministry Delegate

Reverend Robert Barko, O.F.M. '81, M.Div. Director of Campus Ministry

Reader

Ken Oliver, Ph.D. Dean, School of Education and Human Services; Professor of School and Community Counseling; Director, MEC Program

Sign Language Interpreter Jessica Lewis '16, B.A.

Members of the Board of Trustees Honorary Degree Presenter Roger Leenerts Director of Entrepreneurship

Honorary Degree Recipients Michael W. Hennessy '72, M.A.

Carole J. Hennessy '73, B.A.

Commencement Speaker

Samuel P. Banks '76, M.S.W.

Academic Affairs Delegate Sarah Vordtriede-Patton, Ph.D. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield of Illinois

Most Rev. Thomas John Paprocki, M.Div., S.T.L., J.D., J.C.D., M.B.A.

President of Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing & Health Sciences Brenda Beshears, Ph.D., R.N.

President of Quincy University Brian R. McGee, Ph.D.

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Commencement Program Processional/Recessional........................................................................Quincy University Marching Band Bill Machold, M.M., Conductor Academic Procession......................................................................................... The 2026 Spring Graduates Convening of the Ceremony......................................................................... Sarah Vordtriede-Patton, Ph.D. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Invocation................................................................................ Reverend Robert Barko, O.F.M. '81, M.Div. Director of Campus Ministry National Anthem...........................................................................................Mia Blaesing, Raven Sweeney, Ian Malaney, Adam Meerstein Student Welcome.................................................................................................................... Luisa Andrade Conferring of Honorary Degrees.............................................................................. Brian R. McGee, Ph.D. President Commencement Address.................................................................................Samuel P. Banks '76, M.S.W. Bonaventure Awards..................................................................................... Sarah Vordtriede-Patton, Ph.D. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Conferring of Degrees............................................................................................... Brian R. McGee, Ph.D. President Hooding of Masters Candidates.................................................................... Sarah Vordtriede-Patton, Ph.D. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Concluding Remarks................................................................................................. Brian R. McGee, Ph.D. President University Alma Mater.................................................................................Mia Blaesing, Raven Sweeney, Ian Malaney, Adam Meerstein Benediction...................................Most Rev. Thomas John Paprocki, M.Div., S.T.L., J.D., J.C.D., M.B.A. Bishop

Acknowledgements Quincy University Marching Band | Jim Lawrence, Digital Media Production Coordinator

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Honorary Doctorate QUINCY, ILLINOIS

Michael W. Hennessy HONORARY DOCTOR OF HUMANE LETTERS Michael W. Hennessy retired as president and Chief Executive Officer of the Coleman Foundation, a fully endowed, private, charitable foundation established by J.D. and Dorothy Coleman, previous owners of the Fannie May Candy Company.

Mr. Hennessy began his career with Fannie May by developing internal operating systems and marketing strategies, which were then implemented into all company advertising, marketing and operational responsibilities. Mr. Hennessy served as a member of the company's Board of Directors and was Chief Operating Officer of Fannie May. When Fannie May was sold, Mr. Hennessy partnered with a colleague to carry out the day-to-day operations of the Coleman Foundation. He assumed the Presidency in 1993 and the CEO position in 1995.

During Mr. Hennessy’s 30-year tenure with the Coleman Foundation, the Foundation made over 6,800 grants in the areas of cancer support and treatment, education on self-employment, and vocational training for the developmentally disabled.

Mr. Hennessy expanded the Foundation’s inaugural entrepreneurship education programs by developing additional secondary programs, collegiate entrepreneurship chairs and professorships, and community outreach programs.

As a Quincy University alumnus and advocate of entrepreneurship, Mr. Hennessy has generously supported the Quincy University Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.

Mr. Hennessy earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a teaching certificate from Quincy University in 1972. He and his wife, Carole, moved to Quincy when he accepted a teaching position in a dropout prevention program with Quincy Public Schools.

After earning a Master of Arts in Guidance and Counseling from Western Illinois University, Mr. Hennessy took an active role in the counseling and guidance programs at Quincy High School before moving to the Chicago area.

Whereas, Mr. Michael W. Hennessy demonstrates a commitment to excellence through steadfast leadership in both public and private arenas; Whereas, Mr. Hennessy personifies the Franciscan spirit through his optimism, kindness, and generosity; Whereas, Mr. Hennessy serves as an example for others by his entrepreneurial spirit and innovative vision; Whereas, Mr. Hennessy champions liberal arts education and the general advancement of the arts through generous philanthropy and engaged leadership; Whereas, Mr. Hennessy embodies the Quincy University mission and our commitment to servant-leadership; Therefore, be it known that Mr. Michael W. Hennessy is hereby awarded the Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, on this sixteenth day of May 2026.

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Honorary Doctorate QUINCY, ILLINOIS

Carole J. Hennessy HONORARY DOCTOR OF HUMANE LETTERS Carole J. Hennessy has signature membership in the National Watercolor Society, Watercolor USA Honor Society and Illinois Watercolor Society, and she is an associate member of the American Watercolor Society. Mrs. Hennessy serves as President of the Board for the Watercolor USA Honor Society.

While actively engaged in the Chicago art community, Mrs. Hennessy continues to paint and competitively exhibit her work.

Mrs. Hennessy’s work has been exhibited in many local, regional, national, and international exhibitions including shows in Italy, Spain and Canada.

With a concentration on watercolor for more than 40 years, Mrs. Hennessy has furthered her experience through workshops with nationally known watercolor artists. She usually works in series and most of her work has dealt with the landscape, especially the rural areas of the Midwest farmland.

Mrs. Hennessy’s selected group exhibitions include: Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition in eleven of the past thirteen years; Watercolor NOW! in various locations across the nation, eight times; Watercolor USA, Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO, six times; and Fabriano in Aquarello watercolor event, Fabriano, Italy, four times.

Mrs. Hennessy has taught art at the high school and elementary levels in both Illinois and Missouri and started her own framing and arts consulting business.

Mrs. Hennessy earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a teaching certificate from Quincy University in 1973, and she generously supports the Quincy University Art Department.

Mrs. Hennessy and her husband Michael are advocates of entrepreneurship and have generously supported the Quincy University Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.

Whereas, Mrs. Hennessy champions liberal arts education and the advancement of the arts through generous philanthropy and engaged leadership; Whereas, Mrs. Hennessy demonstrates a commitment to excellence through steadfast leadership in both public and private arenas; Whereas, Mrs. Hennessy personifies the Franciscan spirit through her optimism, kindness, and generosity; Whereas, Mrs. Hennessy has served as an example to others by contributing to the cultural and social arenas of the Chicago and Quincy communities; Whereas, Mrs. Hennessy embodies the Quincy University mission, serving as a living example of how our graduates can go forward to transform the world around them; Therefore, be it known that Mrs. Carole Hennessy is hereby awarded the Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, on this sixteenth day of May 2026.

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Commencement Speaker QUINCY, ILLINOIS

Samuel P. Banks

Sam Banks ’76 is retired Director and Board Member at Busey Bank in Champaign, Illinois, and he is well known in the Champaign-Urbana area as former President and CEO of the Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club.

Banks’ background includes decades of leadership in child service organizations. During his years at Quincy, he began a life of service to others by volunteering in what ultimately became the Big Brother Big Sister program. Banks spent over thirty years working with abused, neglected and dependent children from throughout Illinois. Following tenures with Chaddock in Quincy and as President and CEO of Cunningham Children’s Home in Urbana, Banks returned to his Chicago roots and accepted the position of President and CEO of Glenwood School for Boys and Girls, a residential boarding school for at-risk, low-income students from throughout the Chicago area.

He also found time to achieve success as an NCAA Division I basketball official with 20 years of service before retiring in 2008. He officiated games in the Big Ten, Missouri Valley and other Division I conferences and was chosen to work the NCAA and NIT tournaments. He was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame as an Official in 2016.

Banks served on the Quincy University Board of Trustees from 2000 to 2009. He was re-elected in 2023 and is a current Board member. Banks’ service with the QU Board includes serving on these Committees: Buildings and Grounds, Student Affairs, Mission and Ministry, Audit, Executive, Mission and Campus Life, and University Advancement.

Banks earned his sociology degree from QU in 1976 and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Sam and his wife Maureen raised three children, Bryan, Brittany, and Danielle. Maureen served on the QU Board of Trustees for six years.

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Diocese offor Springfield of Illinois Candidates Baccalaureate Degrees

QUINCY, ILLINOIS

Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki Bishop Thomas John Paprocki is the ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. He has served as bishop of the diocese since 2010.

Bishop Paprocki was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1978. After ordination, he studied law at DePaul University College of Law and was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1981.

Working as a parish priest at St. Michael Church in South Chicago, then-Father Paprocki co-founded the South Chicago Legal Clinic to help answer the need for legal services for the poor. In 2014 Bishop Paprocki was named President Emeritus and Of Counsel of the organization, now called the Greater Chicago Legal Clinic.

Cardinal Joseph Bernardin appointed him as Vice Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1985 and, in 1987, sent him to do post graduate studies in canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He completed his doctoral degree in 1991.

He returned to his previous position in Chicago as Vice Chancellor and was appointed Chancellor in March 1992, serving in that capacity under Cardinal Bernardin and then under Cardinal Francis George, following Cardinal Bernardin's death in 1996.

Concluding his service as Chancellor after two terms in office in 2000, then-Father Paprocki studied Polish language and culture at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. In 2001, he was appointed Pastor of St. Constance Parish, serving primarily a large immigrant community from Poland on the northwest side of Chicago. In addition to Polish, Bishop Paprocki speaks English, Spanish, and Italian, and he reads Latin.

Pope John Paul II appointed Bishop Paprocki to serve as Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago in 2003. Cardinal George named him Liaison for Health and Hospital Affairs in the Archdiocese of Chicago. In 2013, he received his Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree from the University of Notre Dame.

He taught as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Loyola University's Chicago School of Law from 1999 to 2015 and at Notre Dame Law School from 2016 to 2021.

Bishop Paprocki currently is Adjunct Professor of Law, Business, and Bioethics at Quincy University's Oakley School of Business, Quincy, Illinois, and Adjunct Professor of Law, Ave Maria School of Law, Naples, Florida. Bishop Paprocki’s many honors and awards include an honorary doctorate in laws from Quincy University, which was conferred in 2012.

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Candidates for Master’s Degrees Oakley School of Business Master of Business Administration Kami Rose Conry..................................... Mendon, Illinois

Joseph Matthew Meidl..........................Hannibal, Missouri

Faith Cummings..................................Columbia, Missouri

Alexander Pickus..................................... Millstadt, Illinois

Brontie Amoy Alexia David-Francis... Basseterre, St. Kitts

Brandon Nathan Pickus........................... Millstadt, Illinois

Kayden Garrett........................................... Quincy, Illinois

Austin Vetter........................................... Omaha, Nebraska

Connor Montgomery Larsen...................... Quincy, Illinois

Paal Vistnes.......................................... Stavanger, Norway

Parker John Lymenstull............................ Oswego, Illinois

Jai Semaj Williams..............................Lake Forest, Illinois

Connor Joseph McClennen................Rochester, Michigan

Zachary A. Willing..................................... Quincy, Illinois

Jason D. McCoy......................................... Quincy, Illinois

Reese Renee Wingbermuehle...............Hillsboro, Missouri

School of Education & Human Services Master of Science in Education Whitney Nicole Baumgartner..................... Quincy, Illinois

Vanessa Marie Goslin.............................. Mendota, Illinois

Crystal Lee Beedle..................................... Quincy, Illinois

Joanna Joseph....................................... Hannibal, Missouri

Master of Science in Education - Counseling Megan Dian Greer..............................Warrenton, Missouri Matthew Jeremy Kroner............................. Quincy, Illinois

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Candidates BaccalaureateDegrees Degrees Candidates for Baccalaureate Oakley School of Business Bachelor of Science Accounting

Management

Faith E. Fierge............................................ Quincy, Illinois

Trayton Anders.........................................LaHarpe, Illinois

Olivia Gilbertson...............................Nottingham, England

Brayden Buffington.................... Bowling Green, Missouri

Robert William Groesch..................... Mt. Sterling, Illinois

Zeynep Cetin...............................Marmaris Mugla, Turkey

Emily Leal......................................................Dallas, Texas

Benjamin Dahlof............................... Roseville, Minnesota

Olivia Nelson.................................... Saint Louis, Missouri

Ella Grace Damm....................................... Quincy, Illinois

Abigail Rhodes..................................Edwardsville, Illinois

Jack Ryan Driscoll................................... Mt. Zion, Illinois

Marcelo Alexander Rojas.................................. Piura, Peru

Cole Erickson...................................Woodbury, Minnesota

Glenn James Sutton................................. Macomb, Illinois

Mackenzie Graves.............................Bella Vista, Arkansas

Cayden James Thoms....................................Cibolo, Texas

Mitchell S. Hall...................................... Versailles, Illinois Austin Haskins........................................... Quincy, Illinois

Business Analytics

Joseph Braden Huffman............................... Avon, Indiana

Jordan Paulsen Settumba........................ Kampala, Uganda

Kayla Maguire............................................ Quincy, Illinois

Finance

Anna Matino Marimon... Sant Cugat del Valles, Barcelona

Ethyn Charles Chauncey Brown..................... Belleville, Illinois

Jocelyn Raelee Meyers............................... Quincy, Illinois

Benjamin Dahlof........................................Roseville, Minnesota

Madelyn E. Miller...................................... Quincy, Illinois

Cole Erickson........................................... Woodbury, Minnesota

Gavin Morawitz..............................New London, Missouri

Faith E. Fierge..................................................... Quincy, Illinois

Carlos Moreno.......................... Valladolid, Castilla y Leon

Olivia Gilbertson....................................... Nottingham, England

Logan Mueller........................................Columbia, Illinois

Nicholas Hoffmann..............................................Miami, Florida

Mahi Panchal......................................Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Joseph Braden Huffman........................................ Avon, Indiana

Roberto Trevino........................................ Chicago, Illinois

Emily Leal...............................................................Dallas, Texas

Lauren Renee Wallace.............................. Chicago, Illinois

Santiago Javier Leiva Solis....... Fernando de la Mora, Paraguay

Hampton Asher Williams............................ Salina, Kansas

Payton Mansfield................................................. Chapin, Illinois Marcelo Alexander Rojas........................................... Piura, Peru Glenn James Sutton.......................................... Macomb, Illinois Carter Alan Venvertloh........................................ Quincy, Illinois

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Candidates BaccalaureateDegrees Degrees Candidates for Baccalaureate Oakley School of Business Bachelor of Science Marketing

Gavin Morawitz.................................... New London, Missouri

Zeynep Cetin...................................... Marmaris Mugla, Turkey

Carlos Moreno.................................Valladolid, Castilla y Leon

Ella Grace Damm..............................................Quincy, Illinois

Logan Mueller...............................................Columbia, Illinois

Jack Ryan Driscoll.......................................... Mt. Zion, Illinois

Merle O. Severson lll.................................. Prescott, Wisconsin

Dylan Michael Graw.......................Victoria, British Columbia

James Earl Smith.............................................Osceola, Indiana

Austin Haskins...................................................Quincy, Illinois

Madison Leigh Stewart............................. Camp Point, Illinois

Anna Matino Marimon..........Sant Cugat del Valles, Barcelona

Carter Alan Venvertloh......................................Quincy, Illinois

Madelyn E. Miller.............................................Quincy, Illinois

Hunter Vernon.............................................. Las Vegas, Nevada

School of Humanities Bachelor of Arts History

Theology & Philosophy

Hanna Kate Poor............................................Novelty, Missouri

Adam Richard Meerstein..................................Quincy, Illinois

Caidyn Prediger................................ Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Izabella Joy Sparrow..................... Johannesburg, South Africa

Political Science Luisa Milhomens Andrade.................................Goiania, Goias Konner Poe............................................................Heath, Texas Nicholas Ariel Puente................................. San Antonio, Texas Daniel Nikolai Schild........................................Quincy, Illinois Victoria Cecilia Weidlick........................Saint Louis, Missouri

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Candidates BaccalaureateDegrees Degrees Candidates for Baccalaureate School of Education & Human Services Bachelor of Science Criminal Justice

Exercise Science

Julius O'Brien Barfield......................... Rockledge, Florida

Alyssa Marie Amaral.................................Ontario, Canada

Alexa Blaesing................................... Mt. Sterling, Illinois

Isaac Xavier Bourge.......................... Montgomery, Illinois

Byron James Blaise................................Sycamore, Illinois

Gabrielle June Cissna............................ Palmyra, Missouri

Sebastian Jacques Courdy......................West Jordan, Utah

Dylan Patrick Feely................................. Wheaton, Illinois

Jaena Genice Daniels..........................Bridgeton, Missouri

Callan Wayne Ivy......................... San Leandro, California

Austin Michael Moore.............................. Newton, Illinois

Tate Douglas Kunzeman......................Griggsville, Illinois

Sydney Sade Runsewe.... Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota

Carson W. Moreno.......................................Miami, Florida

Rayn Victoria Sandoval........................ Hannibal, Missouri

Camden Avery Pye...................................Fenton, Missouri

De'Torrion Temple.........................................Joilet, Illinois

Jonathan Edward Sessions.................... Hensley, Arkansas

Launders Jon-Cole Wince lll............ Saint Louis, Missouri

Monica Rose Shupe.......................... Saint Louis, Missouri Dawson Talbott........................................... Perry, Missouri

Early Childhood Education

Aaron James Taylor........................... Indianapolis, Indiana

Zoey Marie Myers...................................Rockport, Illinois

Human Services

Elementary Education

Rylee Ann Hendricks.................................. Quincy, Illinois

Jennifer Allen............................................. Quincy, Illinois

Rebecca Ritter............................. House Springs, Missouri

Bryttney Ann Marie Beatty.................Camp Point, Illinois

Lily Vardaman......................................... Macomb, Illinois

Austin David Garnett................................. Quincy, Illinois

Psychology

Aryanna Olivia Grace Sade........................ Quincy, Illinois Trajen Thornton.............................West Des Moines, Iowa

Ashtin Boden.............................................. Quincy, Illinois Ashley Jordan....................................... West Point, Illinois Camren Lee Kincaid.............................Springfield, Illinois Connor Matthew Meegan....................... Markham, Illinois Mahi Panchal......................................Ahmedabad, Gujarat Izabella Joy Sparrow...............Johannesburg, South Africa

Special Education Karissa Lynn Atkinson..................... Bollingbrook, Illinois

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Candidates for Baccalaureate Candidates BaccalaureateDegrees Degrees School of Education & Human Services Bachelor of Science Sport Management Breanna Michelle Banks..................... Oakdale, California

Caleb Kroeger............................................ Quincy, Illinois

Lewis Chapman......................Reading, Berkshire England

Nicholas LeeRay Manzo......................... Carthage, Illinois

Piper Nicole Douglas.................... Saint Charles, Missouri

Nolan Anthony May.......................... Metamora, Michigan

Ava Drawe......................................... Temecula, California

Anthony Rivas.......................................... Chicago, Illinois

Barnabas Fenyvesi................................Kaposvar, Hungary

Dorian M. Stone............................... Saint Louis, Missouri

Ryne Jacobsen.......................................... Chicago, Illinois

Griffin Reed Taylor.................................. Macomb, Illinois

School of Fine Arts & Communication Bachelor of Arts Communication

Music

Mia Clare Blaesing............................. Mt. Sterling, Illinois

Adam Richard Meerstein .......................... Quincy, Illinois

Ryan Capps.......................................... Louisiana, Missouri

Raven Nichole Sweeney..................... Beardstown, Illinois

Lindsey Jane Fischer.................................. Quincy, Illinois

Jacob Dylan Wenger............................... Kahoka, Missouri

Kylan Makenzie Funk................................ Quincy, Illinois Brianna Paige Graham.......................... Coatsburg, Illinois Freja Brendstrup Hansen...................... Taastrup, Denmark MyKel Jamison-Trey Linear....................Macon, Missouri Grant Andrew Owen......................... Wentzville, Missourii

Bachelor of Fine Arts Graphic Design Elise Bruggeman.................................... Omaha, Nebraska Jaynie Sophia Chatman.................... Saint Louis, Missouri

Bachelor of Science Music Education Lora Nichole Launer................................. Warsaw, Illinois

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Candidates for Baccalaureate Candidates BaccalaureateDegrees Degrees School of Science & Technology Bachelor of Arts Biology Michaelia Joy Goodwin............................. Quincy, Illinois Andrew Lichtenberger............................Rochester, Illinois

Bachelor of Science Aviation

Computer Science

Ron Angelo Pasamonte Domanais......Pandacaqui, Pampanga

Sebastian Jacques Courdy......................West Jordan, Utah Jeronimo Augurusa Franco.......... Trelew, Chubut Province

Biological Sciences

Christian William Gnat........................... Plainfield, Illinois

Hayden Bennett...........................Kennewick, Washington.

Drew J. Kroeger......................................... Quincy, Illinois

Mikenna Ham...................................Saint Louis, Missouri.

Martiniano Nicolas Montero......Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires

Laci Morgan Novosel................................Quincy, Illinois.

Kyle Scritchfield.......................................... Rowlett, Texas

Renee Christine Schmidt...........................Quincy, Illinois.

Robert Randolph Sutton.......................... Canton, Missouri

Nathan Thomas Smith.....................Roeland Park, Kansas.

Wyatt Walsh.....................Cockermouth Cumbria, England

Chantal Jacquelien Tiesinga.................................................

Joseph Wenger........................................ Kahoka, Missouri

Westerwijtwerd, Groningen Netherlands

Cybersecurity

Ella Rose Wolfard............................. Saint Louis, Missouri

Riley Scott Brown..........................New London, Missouri

Chemistry

Jeronimo Augurusa Franco.......... Trelew, Chubut Province

Brittney Nichole Kelly................................. Keokuk, Iowa

Briana Obermaier.............................. Marshfield, Missouri Zackary Zdrojeski.............................Northport, New York

Chemistry Forensic Science Alexa Blaesing................................... Mt. Sterling, Illinois

Mathematics

Computer Information Systems

Alvaro Heredia Garcia................................. Madrid, Spain

Pinar Dugeroglu.........................................Ankara, Turkey

Shelby Smith......................................... Pensacola, Florida

Derick Ntilahaga Hamis Mhini..... Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Logan Schlueter.......................................... Quincy, Illinois

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Candidates for Baccalaureate Candidates BaccalaureateDegrees Degrees Interdisciplinary Degrees Bachelor of Arts General Studies Terrence M. Huels................................ Barrington, Illinois

Bachelor of Science Forensic Psychology Cassandra Alexis Courson.......................... Payson, Illinois Alyssa Lynee Marquis...............................Godfrey, Illinois

Health Services Zachary Anderson...............................Columbia, Missouri Trinity M. Pendergrass.................................Sutton, Alaska

Public Health Mikenna Ham................................... Saint Louis, Missouri Nathan Thomas Smith......................Roeland Park, Kansas

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Candidates for Baccalaureate Candidates BaccalaureateDegrees Degrees Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing & Health Sciences Bachelor of Science Radiologic Science

Nursing Acheampomaa Akoto Danso...............................................

Elisabeth Renee Albarran.........................Portland, Oregon

......... ...............................Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota

Haley Nicole Barnes...................................Quincy, Illinois

Laura Lynn Garrett...............................Winchester, Illinois

Nevaeh Joy Lynn Douglas..........................Quincy, Illinois

Natalie B. Gilbert....................................... Quincy, Illinois

Siera Faith Houston.............................Mt. Sterling, Illinois

Amelia Rose Ham..................Maryland Heights, Missouri

Alaura Nicole Moore..................................Quincy, Illinois

Ariella Lowney........................................... Quincy, Illinois

Madyson Raye Voss....................................Fowler, Illinois

Ashlynn Marie Salyer..................... Monroe City, Missouri

Jessica Christine Wheeler.................High Ridge, Missouri

Alayna Brooke Vela......................................... Xenia, Ohio

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Candidates About for Commencement Baccalaureate Degrees

he word “commencement” comes to us through the French word comencer from the Vulgar Latin cominitiare meaning to begin or to initiate. It was the word given to the initiation ceremony reserved for university teachers in medieval Europe. Quincy University holds two formal Commencement programs each year in May and December.

Degrees A degree is awarded for the completion of a specific program of study. The first known academic degree, the doctorate (from Latin docere, to teach), was granted by the University of Bologna in the mid-twelfth century. The first bachelor’s degree awarded in America was in 1642. Today, Quincy University grants bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Participants

The Marshal – The marshal, usually a senior member of the faculty, is responsible for leading the candidates for degrees to and from the ceremony.

The Mace and Mace Bearer – While today the mace bearer fills a purely ceremonial role, in medieval times this person functioned as a bodyguard to a dignitary taking public office or opening court. The mace and mace bearer are traditionally part of university commencement ceremonies. Quincy University’s mace was designed by the late Fr. Thomas Brown, OFM, former Chair of the Department of Art. The Platform Party – The platform party is last to enter the ceremony grounds and is first to leave. It consists of the University president, trustees, honorary degree recipients and commencement speaker.

The Faculty and Administration – Members of the University faculty, administration and staff dress in academic regalia appropriate to their own degrees. The Quincy University president typically wears academic regalia featuring the symbols and colors of the University, including a gold medallion displaying the great seal of the University. The University’s trustees also wear academic regalia.

The Graduates – Students are grouped according to the disciplines in which they are to receive their degrees.

Bachelor’s students wear stoles. Master’s students wear hoods bearing the colors of Quincy University and trimmed with the colors associated with the degree. Master’s hoods for business graduates are customarily trimmed in drab, while education hoods are trimmed in blue.

Honors Students who maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.60 on all Quincy University courses completed for a baccalaureate degree are eligible for graduation with honors as follows: Summa Cum Laude........................................................................ cumulative average 3.90-4.00 Magna Cum Laude.......................................................................... cumulative average 3.75-3.89 Cum Laude...................................................................................... cumulative average 3.60-3.74 These honor distinctions will be noted on the student’s transcript and diploma. Students receiving Summa Cum Laude honors wear the Bonaventure Medal. Students receiving Magna Cum Laude and Cum Laude honors wear gold and silver honor cords, respectively. Other honor cords are worn by graduates who are members of academic honor societies and/or the Honors Program.

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Academic ProcessionDegrees Candidates for Baccalaureate

aculty members enter the ceremony space by academic rank, from lowest to highest, and by seniority within rank from least to most senior. Emeriti or retired faculty are given places of honor. The faculty is led by its marshal – a senior faculty member. At Quincy University, the marshal carries a mace as a symbol of authority.

Stylized academic costume is a notable feature of formal functions at colleges and universities throughout the world.

The custom of wearing distinctive regalia for academic ceremonies goes back to the European Middle Ages. As there was an intimate relationship between early European universities and the Roman Catholic Church, and as originally all university professors were clerics, the garb adopted for scholars was similar to that of the clergy. In addition, the costume also served a practical purpose; heavy gowns, hoods and caps were essential for scholars who lived, studied and taught in unheated buildings.

The bachelor’s gown is without ornament and has long pointed sleeves and is designed to be worn closed. The master’s gown has a longer but oblong sleeve that conveys the appearance of a short sleeve. The rear part of its oblong shape is square-cut while the front part has an arc cut away. The doctor’s gown has bell-shaped sleeves. Like the master’s gown, it may be worn open or closed. Bachelor’s and master’s gowns are untrimmed, while the doctor’s gown usually is faced down the front with lapels of velvet and has three velvet bars on the sleeves. A fourth velvet bar is added to the sleeves for the gown of a university president.

Presidential Regalia

The Oxford cap or mortarboard made of serge, broadcloth or durable paper, is worn for most degrees. A tassel hangs down on the side, and the colors of those tassels vary from one university to another.

Bachelor graduates wear a white stole bearing the Quincy University seal; Master’s graduates are hooded during the ceremony. Faculty, administrators, and staff wear hoods. The greatest degree of symbolism is shown by the hood.

The bachelor’s hood is three feet long, and the master’s hood is three-and-a-half feet long. The doctor’s hood is four feet long and has wide side panels. The lining of the hood is silk in the colors of the institution conferring the degree.

The hood’s velvet border indicates the major field of study. Sample hood colors include arts and humanities (white), business (drab), communication (crimson), education (light blue), fine arts (brown), law (purple), medicine (green), music (pink), public administration (peacock blue), science (golden yellow), and theology (scarlet).

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Candidates for Baccalaureate Degrees

Quincy University Alma Mater

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To view an electronic version of the 2026 QU Commencement